National Woman Leader, Ramatu Aliyu)
The Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress on
Sunday disagreed on the outcome of the mock testing of the card
readers conducted on Saturday by the Independent National Electoral
Commission.
The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa
Metuh , said it had noted a series of complaints by Nigerians
regarding lapses experienced during the exercise.
It therefore challenged on the commission to tell the public the
outcome of the testing
The party claimed that the fall-out of the test "vindicates earlier
widespread calls by stakeholders that the card readers should be
thoroughly tested to ascertain their workability before the general
elections. "
The PDP expressed worry over the alleged lapses which it said
included but "not limited to non-verification of voters' fingerprints
even after authenticating their PVCs, slow accreditation process as a
result of poor internet server operations in some locations, and
apparent inadequate knowledge of the card readers by both INEC
officials and voters."
It added that "Our response to the emerging problems and challenges
from Saturday's
testing of the card reader is 'RES IPSA LOQUITOR'- the fact speak for
itself. The PDP and indeed all well-meaning Nigerians await INEC's
official response and or its final decision after such defining
challenges."
But APC's National Woman Leader, Ramatu Aliyu, said the party was
satisfied by the outcome of the test and was therefore still in
support of the use of the card readers for the general elections.
"On the March 28 date for the elections we stand. We stand for the use
of card readers because they will guarantee one man, one vote," she
said.
Earlier, the APC and PDP caucuses in the House of Representatives
maintained their differing positions on the use of the card readers
for the polls.
While the PDP caucus members warned that the Independent National
Electoral Commission was taking a "huge gamble" by insisting on the
use of the card readers, its APC counterpart, argued that they(card
readers) would go a long way in eliminating rigging during the polls.
The Deputy House Majority Leader, Leo Ogor, spoke for the PDP caucus
and the Chairman, House Committee on Justice, Ali Ahmad, for the
APC caucus.
Ogor told The PUNCH that his colleagues in the still believed that
the card readers would lead to the disenfranchisement of many
eligible voters on the days of the elections.
He pointed out that the result of denying people the right to vote was
usually "anarchy."
Ogor stated that no nation introduces "innovations" into its electoral
process at the point of voting, adding that new technologies ought to
have been applied and certified okay long before the actual casting of
ballots.
He said, "Innovations are good but you don't introduce them when the
elections are in the corner.
"It is not just the testing; it is the ability to make sure that the
system is perfect and won't fail that matters.
"Assuming we run into problems during voting, what happens? INEC
probably will not be there with back-up machines for card readers.
"Are you going to shift elections in one particular polling unit? What
happens when you have a total breakdown in the system?
"What we don't want is a state of anarchy where everybody will be
complaining and it will become an embarrassment to the whole nation."
He also faulted the technology on point of law, arguing that using it
would run foul of the Electoral Act, 2010.
According to Ogor, Section 49 of the Act spells out the procedure for
accrediting voters, which "does not provide for the use of any card
reader.
He noted that the extant law only provided that the presiding officer
"shall" accredit a voter for voting on presentation of his voters card
upon identifying his name in the register of voters.
The lawmaker added."So, you will see that this law doesn't accommodate
or envisage any card reader.
"If we continue to progress in error thinking that we are on the right
path, in the end, the result will be anarchy, especially when many
realise that they have been disenfranchised.
"The technology introduced in respect of this is innovative like I
said. But, it runs foul of the law."
But, Ahmad,disapproved of the position taken by his PDP colleagues,
saying any view opposing the use of card readers at "this time is
baseless."
He argued that there was no point conducting the elections if the card
readers would not be used.
Read more at PUNCH:
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